Whether you’re getting ready for an important interview, planning a wedding or just dropping off the kids to school, a good hair day can boost your confidence. But if your favorite go-to hair dryer is always tripping your circuit breakers, you may want to find a better way to dry your hair that doesn’t cause more harm than good.
First, you need to make sure that your home is wired up to handle the wattage of the device you’re using. Modern hair dryers use up to 1,875 watts and can easily overwhelm the power circuits in most homes. If your house is older or not up to code, you might need an electrician to install a larger power circuit.
You can also check to see if your dryer supports dual voltage. Many are equipped to work with a variety of different voltages including 100, 110 or 125. You can usually tell by looking at a sticker or numbers printed on the base, plug or handle of your dryer.
The next step is to plug the hair dryer into an electrical outlet. Most homes have outlets in bathrooms, kitchens and near windows that are protected by ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) breakers. They often have a reset button on them that you can press to get your device working again.
If your outlet doesn’t have a reset button, you can try using it with the power cord that comes with your dryer to see if it works. Some GFCI outlets require a special adapter to use them with a hair dryer, but most will work just fine with your regular power cord.
Another option is to get an inverter. An inverter converts alternating current (AC) from the electricity grid into direct current (DC), which is what your hair dryer needs. You can get an inverter that creates a power output of about 500 watts or one that generates up to 1,500 watts, depending on how much you use your dryer and other appliances in your home.
Using an inverter can be a great option for those who live in a remote area or rely on solar power for their electricity. Inverters can take the energy that is stored in a solar panel and turn it into the watts you need to run your dryer.
The inverter can be a big investment, but it’s well worth it. Not only will it keep your dryer running, but it will also help to reduce your carbon footprint and save you money on energy bills.
You can also consider buying a battery charger. Most batteries come with a charger that can be used to recharge them. This is a great way to reduce the amount of electricity you use and make your hair dryer more efficient while you’re on the road.
Finally, it’s important to remember that all electrical appliances can be dangerous if they’re not handled correctly. Luckily, many hair dryers are now outfitted with special safety features to prevent accidents. For example, all new hair dryers are required to have Appliance Leakage Circuit Interrupters (ALCIs). These devices cut power to an appliance when they detect a change in the electricity that flows through them.